The R8 LMS ultra was purpose-built to FIA GT3 specs.
As a revised version of the previous year's GT3 machine, the exterior of the R8 LMS shows no major changes, but there were many hidden improvements that raised its performance significantly.

The base car is the high-performance Audi flagship, the R8 5.2 FSI quattro.
Because 4WD is not allowed by GT3 regulations, the quattro system was omitted, with the mid-mounted engine driving the rear wheels via a paddle-shifted sequential 6-speed gearbox.
A front spoiler and large rear wing completed the racing package.
Major updates were focused on shaving weight and improving aerodynamics.
The door panels were changed from aluminum to carbon fiber, helping to reduce the car's overall weight by 40 kg to a lean 1,250 kg.
Front and rear body parts underwent extensive refinement, as did the suspension and intake/exhaust systems, finished off by larger front tires.
The output of the V10 engine was rumored to be well over 542 HP, but a restrictor limited its power to 512 HP to 552 HP.

Audi has been running the R8 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race since 2009.
In 2012, Audi Sport Team Phoenix entered the race with an R8 LMS ultra in bright blue and yellow Bilstein colors, piloted by Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase, Frank Stippler and Markus Winkelhock.
That year, the team took the overall win, a long-awaited first for Audi at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

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